Ampligen (Rintatolimod)

“We have an effective drug that’s very, very safe” Dr. Dan Peterson

Nothing better demonstrates the adage that ‘nothing comes easy in CFS’ better than the story of the only CFS drug to ever come before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Produced by a small pharmaceutical company called Hemispherx that, at least in its early years, displayed a propensity to get itself into lawsuits the drug has somehow managed to remain in limbo for over twenty years. Reports of its startling efficacy – at least in some patients – have both tantalized and frustrated an ME/CFS community for decades. Patients do have access to the drug in a few centers in the US but the high cost (>$1,000/month plus the expense of moving to the area) have kept most away.

In this section check out what Ampligen it is and how it works and the long and tangled history of the best and least used drug for ME/CFS for over 20 years.

It is rather outrageous that one must pay for an unproven drug in order to participate in an FDA clinical drug trial which, if successful, will presumably make the manufacturer a great deal of money.

I have contacted the manufacturer, Hemispherx, and the rep seemed confidant that the drug will approved and thus available at reasonable cost, at least to the insured, in the not to distant future. The bad news is that Hemispherx has a history of making misleading public statements. Also, the company has been criticized in the business press for paying its executives large, undeserved bonuses.

Perhaps it is true as Kim Kenney (McCleary), now the President of the CFIDS Association of America , said “Ampligen is a good drug in the wrong hands”.

All sections of the Phoenix Rising website are compiled by a layman. They are not a substitute for a physician and are for informational uses only. Please discuss any treatments in these pages with your physician.